An Australian comedian is urging shoppers to do their national duty and steal from Woolworths in a bizarre response to rising prices and inflation.
melbourne comedian Fergus Neal encouraged fellow Australians to steal a ‘damn’ head of lettuce from the supermarket giant as a means of combating the uprising cost of living.
Fergus, who is in his 20s, made the request in a video shared on social media on Thursday, claiming that Woolworths is using inflation as a “smokescreen” as an excuse to raise prices.
‘Next time you’re in Woolworths, do your Australian duty and steal a bloody lettuce,’ said Fergus.
“Because Woolworths knows, as European banks found out, that it’s not wage increases that drive inflation, but increases in corporate profits.”
Melbourne comedian Fergus Neal (pictured) urged his fellow Australians to steal a head of lettuce from Woolworths in response to inflation and rising cost of living.
Fergus says rising costs from supply chain issues and energy prices are being passed on to the consumer despite big corporations making record profits.
“Inflation is being used as a red herring so Woolworths can increase its $2 billion a year profit margins instead of easily absorbing the costs associated with supply chain issues and energy prices,” he said. Fergus.
‘The reserve bank knows that corporations are doing this and their solution is to curb their purchasing power by demanding that wages not rise while interest rates do.
“Their earning power is affected, so the earning power of corporate CEOs is not.”
Fergus’ video received more than 37,000 views and more than 150 comments, with many Australians sharing his disdain for large supermarket chains.
“I’ve completely stopped shopping at Woolworths (or any large corporation) where they can run,” one person commented.
“And people try to say corporate greed isn’t real so a lot of people literally stand up for the government and big corporations making everyone cringe,” another person wrote.
“Seriously, I’m so mad at all these companies that were crying over lost profits due to Covid but IN TURN, MAKING RECORD PROFITS,” chimed in a third party.
“If there are no open boxes with staff and I have to do the work myself, I take something for the effort.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Woolworths for comment.
Daily Mail Australia does not approve of Mr Neal’s call for Australians to shoplift from Woolworths or any other supermarket chain. Theft is a criminal offense and can carry a penalty of up to five years in prison.
Police deal with minor incidents of shoplifting (involving property valued at less than $150), with violators issuing a theft-at-place violation notice.
Fergus’s bizarre call comes after the Reserve Bank of Australia (pictured) raised interest rates for the 11th time in the last 12 months in a bid to combat inflation.
Fergus’s call comes after the Reserve Bank of Australia raised interest rates for the 11th time in the past 12 months in a bid to combat inflation.
The Reserve Bank of Australia raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage point on May 2, taking the cash rate to an 11-year high of 3.85 percent.
The move runs counter to financial markets, which had almost unanimously predicted that the RBA would put rates on hold.
The RBA has also left open the possibility of further rate hikes, with Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe describing inflation as still too high at 7 percent in March.
Despite rising interest rates and the rising cost of living, the big supermarkets have posted record profits.
In February, Woolworths posted a profit of $907 million for the first half of fiscal 2022 to 2023, an increase of 14 percent over the previous year.
Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci said that despite continued supply chain challenges, most customer metrics improved during the first half of the fiscal year.
“Our first half result benefited from a focus on improving our customers’ shopping experience, restoring our operating rhythm, no recurrence of COVID material costs in the prior year and strong seasonal trade,” Banducci said.
“Our customers are feeling cost of living pressures due to industry-wide inflation and helping all of our customers get value from their Woolies remains our number one priority.”
Fergus claimed that Woolworths (pictured) is using inflation as a “smokescreen” as an excuse to raise prices despite the supermarket giant posting a $907 million profit in the first half of the fiscal year 2022/23.
Grocery competitor Coles (pictured) posted a half-year result of $20.8 billion in total revenue and a profit of $616 million
Coles, the grocery store giant, published half-year results that revealed total revenue of $20.8 billion and a profit of $616 million, up 17.1%.
The supermarket’s total revenue was $12.4 million less than its competitor, with Woolworths earning $291 million more in profit.
Qantas also posted a profit of $1.4 billion, while the Commonwealth Bank of Australia reported a whopping profit of $5.15 billion, up 9 per cent.
Research by the Australia Institute revealed that excessive corporate profits, not Australian wages, were behind the skyrocketing cost of living.
The think tank argued that big business profits account for 69 percent of inflation that is above the reserve bank’s target range of two to three percent.
Australia Institute economist Dr. Jim Stanford claimed that without the excessive increases in corporate prices and profits, the RBA’s nine consecutive interest rate hikes would have been unlikely.
Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus said a ‘greed-price spiral’ was occurring.
Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus (pictured) said research shows excessive corporate profits, not Australian wages, are driving inflation up in what she called a “greed and price spiral”. .
“Inflation is being fueled by these companies raising prices much more than necessary,” said Ms McManus.
‘Clearly, wage growth is not contributing to inflation. Any wage increases in 2022 and early 2023 have been eaten up by price hikes and interest rate hikes.
“Supermarkets and big business are raising prices more than necessary and workers are feeling the pain.
“Big businesses know that people have no choice but to pay the prices they set for essential items like groceries and energy, and the business is making record profits and driving inflation up.”